SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, MI — A weekend of sudden, heavy rainfall prompted the discharge of a combined 60 million gallons of treated wastewater from six Saginaw-area retention basins

Reports released by the Michigan Department of Environmental Equality outlined two separate instances of treated wastewater discharge from city as well as township basins.

Starting at 8:40 p.m. Saturday July 12, five city of Saginaw retention basins along the Saginaw River began discharging a total of 56.95 million gallons of treated wastewater. Discharging concluded at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 13.

Also on Sunday, a second incident took place at the Center Road Retention Basin from 2 a.m. until 8:15 p.m. According to the DEQ report, nearly 3.3 million gallons were released into the nearby Tittabawassee River from the Saginaw Township basin.

Both incidents were a result of more than an inch of rainfall during the weekend, from 7 p.m. Saturday, July 12, until 4 a.m. Sunday, July 13, according to the DEQ reports.

John C. Henning III, Superintendent of the Saginaw Charter Township Wastewater Treatment Plant, said discharge events are far more common during the spring season. However, relatively short periods of intense rainfall, even in July, can prompt retention basin discharge events, Henning said.

Despite millions of gallons of discharged water, Henning said there is no reason for the public to be concerned about the health of the river. He noted that a large amount of the released water is precipitation stored within the basins.

Water collected at the retention basins undergoes sediment disinfection and skimming for contaminates as well as chlorine treatment before being discharged into the water system. Health department officials also conduct E coli testing in area rivers after a discharge event, according to Henning.

RJ Wolcott is a reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-280-3850, or by email at rwolcott@mlive.com